عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Iranian-Swedish Tensions Rise over Trial of 1988 Mass Executions Jailer

A courtroom sketch of Hamid Nouri sitting with his lawyer during his trial in Stockholm District Court on November 23, 2021 [Anders Humlebo/TT News Agency via Reuters]
A courtroom sketch of Hamid Nouri sitting with his lawyer during his trial in Stockholm District Court on November 23, 2021 [Anders Humlebo/TT News Agency via Reuters]
TT
20
TT

Iranian-Swedish Tensions Rise over Trial of 1988 Mass Executions Jailer

A courtroom sketch of Hamid Nouri sitting with his lawyer during his trial in Stockholm District Court on November 23, 2021 [Anders Humlebo/TT News Agency via Reuters]
A courtroom sketch of Hamid Nouri sitting with his lawyer during his trial in Stockholm District Court on November 23, 2021 [Anders Humlebo/TT News Agency via Reuters]

Swedish-Iranian national Ahmad Reza Jalali is to be executed on May 21 at the latest, Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency said on Wednesday, citing sources.

Jalali, a disaster medicine doctor and researcher, was arrested in 2016 on an academic visit to Iran and sentenced to death on charges of espionage for Israel's Mossad.

The report comes as Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian prosecution official arrested by Swedish authorities in 2019, faces a life sentence in Sweden on charges of international war crimes and human rights abuses.

Nouri is accused of playing a leading role in the killing of political prisoners executed on government orders at the Gohardasht prison in Karaj, Iran, in 1988.

Swedish prosecutors and plaintiffs have requested life imprisonment for Nouri for his role in the prison purges.

In the 89th session of Nouri’s trial, plaintiffs’ lawyers said Nouri played “an active role” in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in Iranian prisons and requested the court hand out the maximum sentence of life imprisonment for him.

On Sunday evening, Tehran summoned Sweden's ambassador over what it considered “baseless and false allegations” made against Nouri.

Iran's Secretary of High Council for Human Rights Kazem Gharibabadi described Sweden’s trial of Nouri as “unlawful and unfair.”

Gharibabadi said Nouri's trial is a sham that violates the principles of justice and human rights.

Gharibabadi pointed out that “Nouri has been arrested based on false accusations and his detention is regarded as forced disappearance since his family was kept unaware of the arrest.”

There was no comment from the Swedish government on the Iranian statements.

In 2019, Nouri was arrested upon his arrival in Sweden over alleged human rights abuses.

Swedish prosecutors have invoked the principle of “universal jurisdiction” for serious crimes to bring the case against Nouri to trial.

Last week, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a message on Twitter, advised its country’s citizens against non-essential travel to Iran “due to the security situation.”

Most Viewed

 
World

China's Xi Ready to Work with EU to Expand Ties, Handle Friction

File photo: 14 February 2023, China, Beijing: President of China Xi Jinping meets with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (not pictured). (Iranian Presidency/dpa)
File photo: 14 February 2023, China, Beijing: President of China Xi Jinping meets with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (not pictured). (Iranian Presidency/dpa)
TT
20
TT

China's Xi Ready to Work with EU to Expand Ties, Handle Friction

File photo: 14 February 2023, China, Beijing: President of China Xi Jinping meets with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (not pictured). (Iranian Presidency/dpa)
File photo: 14 February 2023, China, Beijing: President of China Xi Jinping meets with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (not pictured). (Iranian Presidency/dpa)

President Xi Jinping said China was ready to work with European Union leaders to expand mutual openness and properly handle frictions and differences, the official news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday.

The remarks come on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union as they work to thaw ties amid global trade uncertainty fueled by sweeping US tariffs, Reuters said.

Xi did not mention the United States in his remarks, but Beijing has been keen to forge closer economic and political links with Europe to limit the damage from President Donald Trump's tariffs on most of its exports to the United States.

"Healthy, stable China-EU ties not only promote mutual achievements, but also illuminate the world," he said.

Xi also called on the EU to jointly safeguard fairness and justice, and oppose unilateral bullying, describing their relations as one of the world's most influential, Xinhua added.

China said it would welcome visits by European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at an appropriate time to jointly hold a new round of meeting of leaders of both sides.

China and the EU will hold high-level dialogues on strategy, economy and trade, green development and digitalisation among a series of events this year, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press conference on Tuesday.

The ministry also confirmed that China and the European Parliament had decided to free up mutual exchanges.

Last week, the EU said China would lift sanctions on members of the European Parliament and its subcommittee on human rights. The sanctions were imposed in 2021 over Western measures against Chinese officials accused of the mass detention of Muslim Uyghurs in the far western region of Xinjiang.

"Under the current circumstances, both sides believe it is very important for China and Europe to strengthen dialogue and cooperation," Lin, the ministry spokesperson, told reporters.

He expressed confidence that renewed talks would "inject new impetus" in the development of China-EU relations.